The Third Heaven: The Rise of Fallen Stars

by Donovan Neal

  Raphael emerged from the palace doors and spoke. “Brethren, El has reconvened the council — come.”

  Each began to ascend, into the great hall to attend to their Master’s call. Michael looked back to see Talus unmoved, still transfixed in intense study of the fixture.

  “Talus?” said Michael.

  “Michael, I am positive that I have seen this sigil.”

  Michael studied the face of his friend, “I am sure you will remember. Come — El summons us.”

  Talus followed still deep in thought. His eyes glanced back at the monument and his mind flooded with questions. However, there was only one word that clamored for his attention; one word that plagued his mind as he walked into the great hall — Destroyer.

  ********************

  Heaven bustled and stirred as angels went about their business. Apollyon waited in line at the Grigoric Hall of Records: a building where the walls themselves projected the current happenings of the universe. Each attendant was a Grigori clearly visible and who diligently wrote the schedules of the times and seasons of creation.

  The room held hourglasses and other devices that displayed time. El had a Grigori assigned to determine when to schedule his appointments. Raphael’s work was extensive as he managed the mammoth task to record the goings on of all of creation. The Grigori was the most numerous species of Elohim yet the ones who had the least interaction with the creation itself because they were primarily record keepers and schedulers. Apollyon approached a desk and spoke to an attendant behind the counter.

  “Hail brother, I am Apollyon. I come from Earth with inquiry for El”

  The cowled creature looked at him. “One moment please.”

  He turned to his rear and reached for one book settled on a shelf among many. He opened the Elomic Record, which contained the name of every Elohim ever created. Scores of names and entries dotted the pages. His finger deftly went through each name until he located Apollyon.

  “Ah yes. Name: Apollyon. Title: Son of the Dawn. Office: Archon: Administer of the greater light. Assignment: Sol system." He thumbed through the pages and frowned. “Hmmm it would seem that you have had shall we say, a unique start as Archon. I see that you are on temporary leave from Sol. Good. I doubt the system could endure another failure.”

  Apollyon felt the anger within him begin to rise. “I do not need your rebuke. I simply seek inquiry from El. When am I scheduled to enter his presence?”

  The attendant searched for his name, cross-referenced it with appointments that El had and then spoke. “I see no invite to grace His presence.”

  “That’s not possible. All Elohim have access to the personal presence of God. Once access is requested, it is simply…”

  “Apollyon, I seek not to deter you from your duties, but there is no future record of your entrance to see His eminence after your entitlement as Son of the Dawn. In fact, I see no further entries for you beyond day six of the Earth creation date.”

  “How is that possible? I do not simply cease to exist. All Elohim must return to see El at some point in time for renewal!”

  “There is only one entry recorded after today, yet it seems to be incomplete. There is one word and it cannot be made out as of yet.”

  “And what is it?” Apollyon asked.

  The attendant turned the book for Apollyon to inspect for himself.

  Slowly burning into the book were the angelic script and marks of three letters not yet complete in spelling. Each letter emblazoned in reddish hues of orange.

  “D-E-S…”

  “I am sorry Apollyon, but you are currently denied access from El’s presence. You might try to intercede through Prince Talus or one of the other Princes for a direct audience.”

  Apollyon walked away, with his head held heavy. His thoughts churned with questions. Leaving the door of the Library, he saw the crackle of a Ladder atop the mountain of God; evidence that Lucifer had returned to join the council.

  Apollyon thought to himself. Surely, El will hear Lucifer. I will petition him. Encouraged with this option and hopeful that Lucifer would give heed to his word. Apollyon headed towards his home for respite; and to wait for an audience with the Chief Prince. Yet there was a foreboding that haunted him. The words of the record attendant still echoed in his mind…

  “I am sorry, Apollyon, you are currently denied access to El’s presence.”

  Apollyon turned the words repeatedly in his mind, and ruminated on one question.

  Why do I have no scheduled future records?

  ********************

  The council sat before their Lord and waited for El to speak. They were not long in their wait.

  “Rise and bear witness, for the end of all things draws near,” the Lord said.

  El then turned his back away from his cherubs, and the walls of the throne room became transparent. The room and floor disappeared, and they rested upon the earth not far from Athor. The gleaming city sparkled in the distance, and El opened his mouth to speak.

  Earth quieted, and all of creation waited with anticipation for God to verbalize.

  And God said, “Let the Earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the Earth after his kind,” and it was so.

  Out of nothing they came: four legged beasts of every description. The dismayed angels watched as sea, air, and land filled with living creatures. Lucifer moved as a tiny spider scurried over his foot.

  The beasts' locomotion was as varied as their color and skin. Some ran, others hopped; still more galloped, slithered, and crawled. They were two legged, four legged, eight legged, and multi-legged. Some had the ability of flight. Some were as tiny as a speck; others lumbered along with large bony protrusions from what were apparent nostrils.

  Immediately the air filled with sound. They roared, chirped, squeaked, and growled. Some barked, and others purred. The Earth filled with new denizens, but they were but automatons in comparison to the Elohim.

  Their colors matched the spectrum, and the eyes could not capture the fullness of their beauty.

  Each cherub marveled and praised God that life had sprung from El’s word. Each prince then lifted up his voice: sang a song of praise and blessed His name. Heavenly voices rose up, and fowl stopped to listen. The animals quieted as the Lord's chief council broke forth into song, and God was pleased.

  The Lord smiled upon his council and looked upon all that his hands had made. For God had made the beasts of the Earth after his kind, the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the Earth after his kind, and God saw that it was good.

  All of the cherubs except Lucifer, began to play with the new creatures, and from the rear of them came the bleating of a small; four-legged animal in a white coat of puffiness that found itself in front of the First of Angels. Michael watched as Lucifer, the creature stared at one another: and as the creature moved towards Lucifer; Michael looked at the face of his brother and noted that disgust appeared on his face.

  “Lucifer.” God said, “I have a special task for you.”

  “Yes my Lord?” Lucifer replied.

  “I am determined to honor the greatest of all mine creations with a home on this planet. What shall be done unto he whom the Lord delighteth to honor?”

  Lucifer gleamed with excited anticipation, thinking to himself, whom would the Lord desire to honor above myself?

  Lucifer’s mind pondered what he should ask the king of the universe. What would he desire? How could El honor him, his first of all creation? Then it came to him.

  “My Lord, I believe that a garden should be created: a lush green place on Earth that would yield every fruit bearing tree. Let it be surrounded in a weather pattern that is most comfortable and cooled by a mist. Within the confines of the garden should also stretch flora that are not just pleasant for food but also to the eye.

  "There is a river near Athor, my Lord, that runs east of Eden, and my mind is that whole region would serve as an excelle
nt palatial abode, a realm of spectacular comfort and ease. I also believe that your greatest creation be bequeathed with deed to Earth. Although, you have allowed me oversight as steward, to have title to Earth: to this gem of creation would be of ultimate honor.” Lucifer continued.

  "And finally, as your image and likeness is so august; I would propose that this creature be unique in all creation and that it would carry your image and likeness and that none other may yield it.”

  El looked upon Lucifer. His eyes penetrated his first creation, and Chief Prince assigned to his most important of deeds. Slowly, he looked upon Lucifer, and Lucifer bowed his eyes to the ground; his brethren also bowed in obeisance. El studied his son, and for a while, the group wondered if He would speak.

  “Please you may all rise,” He said.

  The group rose to see that they were once again within the throne room. El was seated high, and lifted up as his train filled the temple and looked down upon them.

  “Does the thing that Lucifer hast proposed seem acceptable in thy sight?” asked the Lord.

  All replied even as one man, “Oh Lord, thou knowest. Doeth what seemeth right to thou.”

  El bowed his head, and Michael ever so attentive to his master looked upon El curiously. Why does El look sad? He wondered.

  El turned to Lucifer, “You have indeed spoken well. Do all that thou hast said, and when the fullness of time is complete return to me, and I will announce my intent to honor my greatest creation.”

  Michael and Lucifer caught each other’s eyes, and Lucifer’s glance quickly turned to the throne room doors. The Chief Price left immediately, headed out the palace to assign his detachment their orders, and was quickly out of sight.

  “The rest of you are released to your duties. After completion of Lucifer’s work on my behalf: return. Then I will announce the future plans I have for Earth, and we will break bread together before I take my rest.”

  The group bowed in concert; each one dismissed himself and leisurely exited the throne room. The cherubs made their way out the palace, and down the steps, towards the newly formed statue of light.

  As Michael and Jerahmeel conversed with one another, Talus motioned for his friends to come near. Talus stood at the statue and gawked his gazed transfixed.

  “Michael––that sigil!” Talus said.

  “What of it?”

  “I think I know to whom it belongs!”

  “Who?” Michael replied.

  “Apollyon! In El’s name — the sigil belongs to Apollyon!”

  ********************

  Lucifer walked towards the entrance to the mouth of the mountain of God and noticed the gaseous disturbance that trailed him.

  “Your bold desire to manifest and speak is ill timed Grigori, for we are not in private. What troubles you Lilith?”

  “Remember ‘Lightbringer’, you do not have things hidden from me. Your disgust of His form grows more apparent even as you pounce at the opportunity to have him honor you.”

  “I look upon Him Lilith, and I can’t help but wonder of the vanity that would cause Him to create me first. My presence magnifies His own. My mere existence gives credence to his need to be glorified. I am sure El desires to honor the one for helping Him to look so magnificent.”

  “Do not presume upon El, Lucifer. He is the Word. He is The Father, and you are the son.”

  “Aye, El indeed is the Word, yet how my creator would make a creation that surpasses Himself seems to reek of weakness and folly.”

  “It affected you didn’t it?”

  “That woolish creature? Of course not,” Lucifer said.

  “Remember ‘Lightbringer’ I know you as no one would. Do not patronize me.”

  “Dismiss yourself watcher; an attendant arrives.”

  Lucifer knew that his thoughts had grabbed the attention of Lilith. Apparently, this image was the one that El chose to reveal to Lucifer, for El had manifested himself differently to each of the Chief Princes.

  Running quickly up the steps Basus, an attendant of Lucifer’s detachment in Heaven approached the Chief Prince and bowed.

  “My Lord, your presence has been requested by the Archon Apollyon. He awaits you within his residence and seeks an audience. If you consent, he will come upon your command to your abode.”

  “Bid him come, but tell him do not tarry, for I leave for Athor upon the conclusion of our business.”

  “Aye, Chief Prince,” Basus replied.

  ********************

  Apollyon walked the streets of his home. Each building of Heaven was carved out of precious stones. One dwelling was fashioned of onyx, another topaz, still others of beryl or sapphire: each home reflective of the qualities of its host. Apollyon walked the streets of glass and gold. Heaven was a wondrous place filled with various flora and fauna. There were birds and exceedingly beautiful beasts that flew. Pegasi filled the air as Elohim transported various building materials to parts unknown. Jerusalem the capital city was a thing of majesty itself. It stood at the base of the Mt. Zion. There was no stellar source of light as with the skies of the second heaven, for the Lord God lit the realm. His brilliance radiated all about. Thus, there was no night in Heaven. God was light, and in Him was no darkness. The city was twelve thousand furlongs in width and height.

  Moreover, the city lay foursquare, and the length was as large as the breadth. The length, breadth, and the height of it were equal. If one were to measure the wall thereof, it would be a hundred and forty and four cubits. The building of the wall was of jasper, and the entirety of the city was made of pure gold, like unto a clear glass. Decorative stones adorned the foundation of the walls of the city. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; and the twelfth, an amethyst. Moreover, the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every gate was made of solid pearl.

  Michael constructed each road so that if one were to travel on any street, he would arrive at the base of the mountain of God. To the left of the city were the Elysian Fields, vast acres of manna leaf. It was from here the manna leaves grew a never-ending supply to feed the multitudes of Heaven. Elohim came at their leisure. However, as of late Michael had commissioned groups to harvest at intervals and to store the manna in granaries. For what purpose was not clear to Apollyon, for the Elohim had not had need to store in the past.

  Apollyon looked past the fields to the mountain of God. The massive home of El stood and towered over the whole of Jerusalem. God’s palace rested upon the top; the mountain itself served as the foundation and chief cornerstone of the immense structure. None could set foot on the mountain of God, for it was the home of El. None approached it, and each Elohim held an instinct to avoid the mountain. Those among Apollyon’s kind who ventured too close had found themselves ill and suddenly surrounded by the Ophanim who escorted them quickly away from the vicinity. It was said that the Ophanim at El’s command would destroy anyone who dared breached the temple without permission to enter, assuming that one would have first escaped the Seraphim who guarded the entrance of El’s throne.

  Looking across the Elysian Fields, Apollyon could see the Cliffs of Argoth, a cropping of rock that protruded and overlooked the capital.

  Argoth, an Elohim of illustrious renown and mystery was an angel of prophetic praise. Legend says that when the Lord created him, Argoth looked upon his maker for the first time and was so stunned, so overwhelmed and so awed with his beauty, that he became as a man in a deep trance or a waking slumber.

  Argoth then walked to the edge of the mountain of the Lord, looked out over the expanse of the Kingdom of Heaven, and proclaimed,

  "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."

  After this proclamation, the Lord said to him, “For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be known.” El immediately silenced him, and the cliffs muzzled from echoing what Argoth had uttered. The cliffs are the only place of permanent silence in Heaven. The cliffs have come to represent a place where secrets are uttered. Afterwards, Argoth became a Grigori with an unusual assignment: he now stands mute within the Great Library, his stylus and inkhorn yet to record

  Next to the cliffs was a massive cave-like furnace called the Kiln: the place where the ‘Stones of Fire’ lay and where new Elohim came into existence. It has fired without ceasing since before Apollyon’s own creation, a never-ending womb that breeds the host of Elohim who administer the affairs of Heaven and Earth. Only El and the Chief Prince may enter the Kiln.

  Apollyon turned down one of the gold laden streets to walk past the living quarters of his deceased friend Saesheal. He turned the door to enter and quietly closed the door behind him. Apollyon walked carefully as if he were stepping over a sleeping patron. Apollyon viewed the flowers picked from the grounds of Heaven: colorful plants that responded to one's touch. Each petal hummed in a quiet melody and emitted a tiny iridescent light. A table with flatware adorned the dining room. Tapestries, linens, chairs, tomes, Apollyon slowly realized how much Saesheal’s quarters were highly decorated: so unlike his own.

  Apollyon had never found the need for such trivial things. His function was to serve. There was little need for beds, flowers, or living creatures to accompany his solace in his moments of rest. Saesheal, however, was not so. There were volumes of books on his shelves, the record of the commands given to the Elohim upon their exit from the Kiln. The Grigori have created a library within the capital that provides public access to the records of the ever-expanding creation. Each record displayed was either projected as an image or stored in written form. Apollyon noticed that Saesheal had spent time studying his assignment of Luna. Records of Luna’s creation and instructions to its oversight littered the table of Saesheal’s dwelling.